Monthly Archives: March 2014

Less than six hours into a nine-day journey and my daughter, Kendra, and I had already seen God at work. We landed in Houston’s International airport en route to Merida, Mexico. Houston, the famous home of NASA’s station where Apollo 13’s mission went awry bringing the famous line, “Houston, we have a problem.”

Exiting our plane we found our bearings and headed straight for the international terminal. Before long our trek took us to a long escalator. We looked up in time to see an elderly woman crumple on the escalating steps and begin tumbling toward the bottom. Fortunately she stopped after several steps but blood gushed from the sharp steps that cut into her lower leg. Jumping several steps at a time I dashed toward the woman and was able to lift her before sustaining further damage as the escalator stopped at the top. The amazing thing . . . no one else reacted except us. The grandmother’s family didn’t react, other people didn’t react, the woman herself barely reacted! Blood was visibly seeping through her wounds and soaking her pant legs and all she could say was, “We need to catch our plane.”

I processed what we had witnessed there in Houston. I began to rationalize the other people’s lack of action. They must not have seen her fall. The woman must be in a state of shock and embarrassment from her accident. Or . . . did Houston Still Have a Problem?

Kendra and I boarded a train for our next terminal while my brain continued processing the event. We exited the train, walked a few hundred yards, and then, “BANG!!!” Startled, we twirled toward the sound finding a young Latino man pushing a Famiglia Restaurant food cart. The cart contents had tipped and slammed to the floor spilling lettuce, pepperoni, garlic dumplings, large Chocolate Chip Cookies and other food containers over the terminal floor. Kendra and I rushed to help. Two other men joined us. The five of us worked feverishly while dozens stared and scores of others turned and acted as if nothing had happened at all. Houston . . . what are you doing?!?

OK . . . after the first incident I gave people the benefit of the doubt. But after the second incident I needed to say, “Houston, WE STILL HAVE A PROBLEM!!” What has occurred in the hearts of people that we cannot stop the rush of our precious lives to help a person in need? Houston, What goes through your minds? I’m too busy. Be more careful next time! I’m not getting my hands dirty! Luke 10:25-37 is a story where Jesus describes a person being brutally beat and left for dead along side the road. Highly respected people begin to pass the person’s mangled body until a foreigner sees him, stops, and does everything he can including spending his own money to help the person be safe and healed. Houston, we don’t have to live with our problem. We can choose to open our eyes and see the needs of those around us. Houston, you have everything you need to make a difference. Houston . . . Houston . . . Hello? . . . Houston, do you read me? . . . Houston?